


You Didn't Say That

by TheAsexualofSpades



Series: Quarantine Drabbles [38]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Merlin's a fucking powerhouse okay, a little bit of angst? but it's really not bad?, can be platonic or romantic you decide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23946586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAsexualofSpades/pseuds/TheAsexualofSpades
Summary: Merlin tells Arthur about his magic because it's the right thing to do.That doesn't mean Arthur knows everything.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Quarantine Drabbles [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677655
Comments: 26
Kudos: 1015





	You Didn't Say That

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for the request Amfibolit! I had fun writing this and I hope it's what you wanted!
> 
> if y'all have requests leave em in the comments i'll see em
> 
> or ask on tumblr
> 
> Also let’s be honest most sorcerers ain’t all the powerful so Arthur probably doesn’t know how strong Merlin really is

Fandom: Merlin (BBC)

Prompt: I will always adore and love when characters are underestimated/not belived in and then get to show off without "showing off"<3 Your piece in this collection where Peter's class is on a field trip was the best thing to happen to me last week and if you feel inspried to write something similar for Merlin I would die happy. - Amfibolit

* * *

Merlin tells Arthur he has magic late one afternoon.

It’s no big affair, it’s not like Merlin had it forced out of him. They’d come back from a council meeting and Arthur had just about thrown the entire room, built-up frustration finally released.

“It just makes no _sense,_ Merlin,” he’d said, stepping over the scattered boots, “he knows the druids. The druids are peaceful. How can he lump all magic users together?”

“I don’t know, Arthur.” Merlin picked up the cup thrown his way and pushed a drink into Arthur’s hand. “Drink.”

Arthur collapsed gratefully into a chair, taking a long swig.

“…if I knew someone with magic,” he began and Merlin’s heart leaped to his throat, “someone that wasn’t evil, then I’d fight as hard as I could.”

“Would you pressure them to expose themselves?”

“What? No!” Arthur looked disgusted at the thought. “Just for me to know, that would be enough.”

Merlin swallowed around the lump in his throat. He took three abrupt steps away from Arthur, turning to face him with his hands twisted tightly together.

“Merlin?” Arthur sat up, concerned, “what’s the matter?”

“You do know someone with magic,” Merlin started, “and I…I don’t think they’re evil.”

“What?” Arthur shot to his feet. “Who is it? Please, can I speak to them?”

Merlin smiled sadly. “You are.” At Arthur’s confused look, he continued. “I have magic, Arthur.”

Merlin couldn’t decipher the several emotions that ran across Arthur’s face. Only when they had stilled into something no less perplexing did Arthur speak.

“Gaius?”

Merlin nodded. Yes, Gaius knew.

“Well,” Arthur sat his goblet down and came towards Merlin, “I’d always wondered why the two of you were so close.”

Merlin choked out a laugh, the sheer weight of what he’d just done still hovering over him. Arthur’s warm hands ran up his shoulders, holding him steady.

“Thank you for telling me, Merlin,” Arthur soothed, “thank you for trusting me.”

“It’s for you,” Merlin blurted, “my magic. Always has been.”

“For me?”

“I use it for you.”

Arthur’s face broke into a grin and Merlin couldn’t help but echo it.

“I’d better get to work, then, haven’t I?”

And that had been that. Arthur hadn’t asked him to prove it, hadn’t asked him to do any number of his chores with magic, just reassured him that he’d fight for the ban to be abolished. Gaius frowned so deeply when Merlin informed him of this that he’d thought for a split second it’d get stuck that way.

“Nothing’s happened,” Merlin said over their dinner, “I’ve not been thrown in the dungeons or threatened with execution.”

“You’re still a sorcerer under the rule of Uther Pendragon,” Gaius corrected, “you must still be careful.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I know. You and Arthur said the same thing.”

“I imagine _he_ will have no more success getting you to behave than I have.”

“Probably not.”

Merlin definitely wasn’t used to the idea that he could cast in front of Arthur so he hadn’t been. The only big differences were that now Arthur would ask his opinion more explicitly about matters of magic and Merlin could answer honestly. That in itself did more to ease the ache in his chest than anything else. Well, except for:

“So all those times,” Arthur said, leaning against his desk, “that I asked for you, and Gaius said you were in the tavern?”

“I literally don’t even know where the tavern _is._ ”

“Only you, Merlin.”

All things considered, it was pretty great. Merlin still wasn’t sure why Arthur was taking this so well but he wasn’t about to question it.

The knights had breathed a sigh of relief when Merlin told them.

“It’s about time Princess figured it out.” Gwaine clapped Merlin on the shoulder.

“Is he going to knight you,” Lancelot asked, harkening back to their whispered conversation, “now that he knows the extent of what you’ve done?”

Merlin shook his head. “I don’t want that. And no, I don’t think he will.”

“Why not?” Leon set down his sword. “You’re out there doing as much as we are, if not more.”

“You know I’ve never really been one for capes.”

One thing he was getting a little tired of was Arthur’s nagging on patrols. Normally he’d be able to slip little bits of magic in here and there to help it along, especially when he didn’t have to worry about the knights, but now—

“Merlin!”

“What?”

“Were you just using magic?”

“…no.”

“Then what the hell did I just see?”

“…trick of the light?”

“Knock it off, you idiot, you’re going to get yourself hurt. The laws haven’t changed yet. Besides, it’ll take Percival less time to do it by hand.”

Percival frowned. “No, it wouldn’t,” he muttered to Merlin, “why did he say that?”

Merlin shrugged. “Maybe he’s just in a mood.”

“Oh, well, that’s news to me.”

Every time Merlin would suggest something he could do with magic, Arthur would brush it off, saying it wasn’t worth it. Merlin chalked it up to Arthur still being worried about Merlin’s magic getting exposed, which alright, yes, it did make Merlin’s chest warm, but still. He felt guilty watching the knights do things he could do with a snap of his fingers.

None of the knights were going to broach the topic, Merlin knew, even though Elyan would come to ask him to do things when Arthur wasn’t around.

“Thanks, Merlin,” Elyan said, taking the newly repaired fishing spear, “you’re a lifesaver.”

“Here here,” came the cheer from over their shoulders.

Merlin blushed. “’S not much.”

“For _you,_ ” Elyan said, bumping Merlin’s shoulder, “for any other sorcerer it’d be a challenge.”

Then came news of the trip to the very edges of Camelot.

There was some minor dispute that apparently warranted Arthur’s presence, so here Merlin is, all saddled up, riding next to him. The knights surround them with their cloaks of red, gleaming in the sun.

“We’ll make camp here,” Arthur announces, spotting a large grove of trees. “It’s close enough that it’s only half a day’s ride on the morrow.”

“Just say tomorrow like a normal person.”

Arthur cuffs Merlin lightly with his gloves. “For that, you can set up the entire camp by yourself.”

Merlin immediately perks up. “Alright.”

“Why’re you so eager all of a sudden?”

“Ah, come on, Merlin,” Percival says, clapping him on the arm, “when’s the last time you did it?”

“Did what?”

“Actually get to _use_ his magic,” Gwaine calls from where he’s already sprawled out against a log, “instead of watching us do everything.”

Arthur crosses his arms. “Are you all mad?”

“Come on,” Elyan says, tossing his horse the feedbag, “we’re not close to anyone else who’s going to _do_ anything about it.”

“He means we’re in bumfuck nowhere,” Gwaine says amidst the snickers, “and Merlin needs to stretch his legs.”

Arthur looks at Merlin who shrugs. He wants to. He _really_ wants to. Partially because yes, he _does_ desperately need to stretch his legs, but he wants to show Arthur what he can do. Or at least some of it. Just to prove what he’s been saying isn’t a load of nonsense.

Arthur sighs. “Alright, fine. There’s enough light left in the day for it.”

“What’s that got to do with it,” Merlin hears Leon mutter over his shoulder but he doesn’t care. he’s got work to do.

At this point, establishing the barrier of protective spells is mindless work, easily accomplished as he gathers whatever firewood he can find. He piles it in the pit he’s had the earth dig for him and waves his hand absentmindedly until there’s a roaring blaze. He gestures to the place where the bedrolls should lie and they unfurl as he beckons the ration bag over to him.

“How much are we eating tonight?”

“Oh, I’d say just include the roast this time.”

Merlin raises an eyebrow. “You sure? You lot tend to want to eat _everything_ in one go, often leaving me without anything.”

“That’s completely untrue,” Leon sniffs, clearly playing into the joke, “we always leave you a plate.”

“Yeah, tell him, Arthur,” Percival says.

“Arthur?”

Said man is staring at Merlin, unmoving. Merlin frowns, concerned until he sees Arthur’s expression morph clearly into fear.

“Arthur, what’s—“

“What,” Arthur breathes, “the _hell_ is going on?”

“Merlin’s setting up camp?” Gwaine looks between the two of them, clearly confused. Merlin’s not much better off.

“He’s doing a hell of a lot more than that,” Arthur spits, fear quickly souring into rage.

“Arthur, I—“

“No,” Arthur snaps, pointing his finger at Merlin, “you don’t get to talk right now.”

“Now hang on,” Gwaine protests, “you’ve just yelled at the man for no reason and now he’s not allowed to defend himself?”

“No reason?” Arthur repeats, waving wildly around them. “What the hell do you call all this then? You saw what I just saw?”

“If he’s reacting like this to the camp set up,” Merlin hears Elyan mutter to Leon, “what d’you think he said to everything else?”

They’re not quiet enough. Arthur spins on his heel, glaring at the two knights. “Everything else? What the hell do you mean, _everything else?”_

Lancelot glances at Merlin who’s still standing completely still.

“Sire,” he begins, “Merlin _did_ tell you he has magic.”

“Yes, that he learned from Gaius!” Arthur waves at him again. “Not whatever the hell that just was!”

“Wait, what?” Merlin waves to get their attention. “I never told you that.”

“You said it to me! In my chambers,” Arthur snarls, ignoring the suggestive whoop from Gwaine, “I asked you if you’d learned magic from Gaius and you said yes!”

Merlin closes his eyes. “No, Arthur. You just said: ‘Gaius?’ and I thought that was you asking me if Gaius _knew_ I had magic.”

“They’re the same question!”

“No, they aren’t.” Merlin sinks to his knees. He’d been wondering why Arthur never got so angry.

“I was born with magic, Arthur,” he murmurs, confession spilling out in full this time, “and I have only ever used it to help Camelot.”

Silence.

“Sire,” he hears Leon say, “he speaks the truth.”

“He’s saved us all,” Lancelot continues, “more times than we can count.”

“So all those times,” and Merlin’s heart stutters at the choked-off pain in Arthur’s voice, “when you said you’ve saved me…”

“I’ve done it using magic,” Merlin says, finally raising his head to see Arthur’s eyes brimming with tears, “and I will do it again.”

Distantly, he hears Lancelot murmur that they should give them some time. The knights leave, each still within earshot of anything loud but far enough away to give them privacy. Merlin doesn’t rise.

Arthur flings himself down onto the log and covers his face with his hands. Merlin’s heart aches to go comfort his friend but he can’t.

“Why are you still in Camelot?”

Arthur’s voice is so soft Merlin almost misses it.

“If you’re _really_ that powerful,” Arthur says, “then why are you here? It’s one thing for a sorcerer like Gaius but you—“

He chokes off, still looking around the camp in disbelief.

“Because it’s my destiny,” Merlin says like it’s the only answer that matters, “because you’re destined to be the greatest king who will unite the lands of Albion, and I will always stand by your side.”

Arthur is silent for a long moment. The fire crackles merrily between them. The night stretches long a dark above them.

Arthur stands.

Merlin watches the light of the fire gleam off his armor as he rounds the pit, coming to kneel just in front of Merlin, shielding him from the worst of its heat.

“Tell me, Merlin,” he murmurs, resting his hands on Merlin’s shoulders, “tell me everything.”

And Merlin does.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come yell at me on tumblr while we're all in quarantine. 
> 
> https://a-small-batch-of-dragons.tumblr.com/


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